


Chrysanthemums

by plutopie



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Alexander Hamilton, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gay John Laurens, George Washington is a Dad, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Modern Era, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, They're both oblivious, alex and laf are adopted brothers, alexander does law and english, john is an art student, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:15:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29663694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plutopie/pseuds/plutopie
Summary: ‘Shut up, I can find a girl pretty without wanting to kiss her.’‘Yeah, it’s a shame Alexander’s not a girl then. If he knew how much you wanted to kiss him, he’d be so creeped out he’d have a restraining order on you by now.’‘I told you, I don’t have a crush on him,’ I protested as we started to go our separate ways.‘Yeah, and I told you I know you’re lying!’
Relationships: Aaron Burr/Theodosia Prevost Burr, Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, George Washington/Martha Washington, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan, Maria Reynolds/Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler, Thomas Jefferson/James Madison
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	1. King's College

Alex's POV

Blue skies, bustling cars, breezy winds. 

I was finally here- Kings College. Totally not nervous. I guess I still find it crazy that I even got here. Call it what you will, luck, hard work, fate, but in any regular story, I’d still be in the Caribbean. Growing up in there was tough, and honestly, I never thought I'd survive, let alone make it to college in New York, the greatest city in the world. 

My family was always poor, but it really got bad when my dad left us when I was ten- not to mention the insane debt he left us with, too. Two years later, and my mother and I get sick, deadly sick. I don’t know how I made it, but my mum wasn’t so lucky. As much as I try not to think about her, I can’t help but wish she was here- I just miss everything about her - her fiery comebacks and protectiveness, her soothing singing voice, delicious plantains, the way she watered her garden and told stories about Greek heroes and European wars and ancient emperors. 

As if that wasn't bad enough, I later moved in with a cousin who... yeah, I don't want to talk about it. And to put the cherry on the cake, there was the hurricane. It was awful, buildings falling left and right, flooding, panic, screams, and my brother- well, let's just say the universe thought I hadn’t had enough loss in my life already. 

I really don't know how, but that's when it all turned around. George and Martha Washington somehow got hold of an account I'd written about the disaster. A letter I tried to write to my dad ended up with them, and they took me in, gave me the opportunities I never thought I'd have. I should've been dead about ten times over, but instead, I'm instead facing ivy covered walls that I'd never even dared dream of, and I owe it all to them.

Well now that my backstory is over, I suppose I can put all that behind me and start fresh. I stared in awe at the gorgeous building in front of me, brick red turrets and latticed windows like something out of a fairy-tale. I snapped out of my doe-eyed daydream as I felt a playful slap to my back, turning to see Lafayette- my adopted brother- beside me. He was all smiles and energy, towering above me, curly ringlets dancing as he walked.

'Ah mon frère ! We are here, finally! Are you excited?’

'Laf!' I reply brightly, pulling him into a brief hug, 'I can’t wait, this place is so pretty!’ 

We carried on talking as we headed to our dorm- turns out Laf's with this guy he knows from high school and I'm with Hercules Mulligan, Laf's boyfriend since- well, I don't think anyone knows when they started dating, it feels like they've been together forever. My foster brother really does not shut up about Mulligan, meaning I basically know everything about him, but at least I know he's cool. 

We got to the dorms and went off to our rooms, Lafayette making me swear I'd come hang out as soon as I was done unpacking. I opened the door, room 1776, to find a man- umber brown skin, short hair, welcoming eyes, and that beanie that I've seen in every photo of him; yes, this must be Mulligan. He extended a hand and introduced himself, 'Hey, Hercules Mulligan. You must be Alexander- Lafayette's told me so much about you.' I felt at home already.

'Yeah, Laf is always talking about you too. I'm Alexander Hamilton. Nice to finally meet you.'

After a brief chat, I headed to my room, deciding to just leave my bags there and unpack them later- besides, Hercules has already done a pretty good job at decorating the dorm- there were vibrant plants and adorable pottery on just about every counter and cosy rugs and beanbags on the floor. 

If it was up to me, the room would be filled with nothing but books and coffee mugs, but this was definitely a lot nicer. 

‘Hey, wanna head to Laf and John's dorm? They'll probably be waiting.'

'Sure,' I called back, taking off my coat and leaving to meet up with Laf and his dorm-mate. God, I hoped that he was nice. I we would probably have to spend a lot of time together, and even though I could probably out-comeback him either way, a decent guy would just be so much easier. But I mean, Laf and Hercules were friends with him, so how bad could he be?

We made our way to Laf’s dorm, to find a guy and two other girls watching something on Laf’s marshmallow soft, beige sofa. As the door creaked open, all their heads snapped towards us. 

Lafayette’s eyes suddenly widened, and I could’ve sworn they started fucking sparkling, as joy flooded his face and he ran into Hercules’ arms. They held their embrace, Laf on his toes, arms locked around his boyfriend’s neck for a while, and kissed briefly; honestly I’d never seen anything so sweet, until one of the girls hollered, ‘Get a room!’, and my attention turned to them. 

‘Hey,’ the same girl called to me, ‘Who are you?’, to which the taller girl hit her across the head, exclaiming, ‘Peggy! Don’t be so rude!’ before turning to me. ‘I’m Angelica, and that nutjob’s my sister, Margarita,’ she said, playfully jabbing her sister again. 

‘Hey, don’t call me that. I bet mum and dad were drunk coming up with that name. Ha, get it? Anyway, I’m Peggy. Who are you?’ I could tell I liked them both already. 

‘Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton. I’m Laf’s brother. Well, adopted brother. Nice to meet you.’ Then the other guy, who had been silent till now, said, ‘Well, Alexander, I’m Aaron Burr. It’s a pleasure, but guys, talk less, the best part is coming on.’ 

He smiled, ushering a spot on the couch for me, and I sat with them, Laf and Hercules cuddling on a nearby beanbag, and despite Burr’s mantra, we did end up talking through the rest of the movie. We talked about our subjects- Peggy and Laf were doing film, Herc was in fashion design, and luckily for me, Burr and Angelica were doing law, both in a lot of the same classes as me. 

It wasn’t long before Laf’s roommate got back and damn. He was hot. Insert bi panic. Holy shit. Tall, or at least taller than me, though not as tall as Laf, curly brown hair and freckles spread across his face as he smiled, wide and gorgeous, as he said ‘hellos’ and ‘it’s been way too longs’ and ‘it’s great to see you agains’. 

‘Hey, I’m John Laurens, we haven’t met, but Laf’s told me about you. Ha, that sounds creepy doesn’t it? Alexander, right?’ 

Oh, god was I think I froze in my seat right then. I don’t even know how I managed to form a sentence. 

‘Hamilton, yeah. Laf’s talked about you too, I guess the creepiness is mutual.’ Why did I say that, I was kicking myself at that tragic attempt at humour, but to my relief, he chuckled, before sitting next to me and putting an arm around… Peggy and- oh great, of course they’re dating, of course he’s straight, why would I assume I had a chance.  
As if my head wasn’t going insane enough already, then I noticed his arms. Oh, god, his arms. Strong and firm, covered in freckles, just like his face. It made me wonder where else he had freckles. Oh, god, I did not just think that. I don’t know if it was me, or if the room was just really hot, but I felt my entire body heat up without warning. 

I almost felt my stomach sink as Burr turned the movie back on, and I caught Peggy whisper something to him, as John blushed and turned pink. I had to admit they were adorable together. 

This was gonna be a long year. 

John’s POV 

This was gonna be a long year. 

When I arrived on campus this morning and unpacked my bags and went to find my friends, I didn’t expect to meet the most gorgeous boy I think I’ve ever met. 

Short, with dark black hair and a witty smile, he was hot in the way Leonardo DiCaprio would be if he was a Disney villain. I wanted to stare at him all day, paint the curve of his cheek, the way his eyes crinkled slightly when he smiled, the harsh line of his jaw. 

It took all my willpower not to ignore everyone else in the room, but there was no way I was about to let that be my first impression, so I greeted all the rest of my friends first. It was nice to see them after so long- I hadn’t realised how apprehensive the air always is back home, what with my dad constantly asking about girlfriends and my siblings causing a ruckus at every turn. 

That was nothing like here- here there was nothing but laughter and energy, good-humoured insults, and stories about everyone’s holidays. Even so, I was eager to speak to the new boy. 

‘Hey, I’m John Laurens, we haven’t met, but Laf’s told me about you. Ha, that sounds creepy doesn’t it? Alexander, right?’ 

Really, John? Trying to make a good first impression and you go with that? I wanted to rub it out, like words on a whiteboard, but unfortunately for me, they were written in permanent marker. 

‘Hamilton, yeah. Laf’s talked about you too, I guess the creepiness is mutual.’

Phew. I mean, that could’ve gone better, we were on a last name basis, but still, that wasn’t a complete disaster. 

I was utterly relieved that I didn’t have to talk to him anymore when the movie started. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to talk to him, I really did, but I didn’t want to make more of a fool of myself than I already had. 

Peggy must’ve heard my racing thoughts, because she nudged me in the side as we sat down and whispered, ‘Alexander, huh,’ in my ear, obviously making my blush like crazy- I really hope he hadn’t heard that.


	2. Shakespeare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and John talk about the gays and the plays before John visits the art block.

**Alex’s POV**

_Juliet: Oh, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love proves likewise variable._

Romeo and Juliet, act 2, scene 2. It was only the first of the many works we were going to be covering in lit. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a great play, if you’re into all that- I just prefer murder to romance.

‘Herc? Herc, are you in here?’ a voice called from the other room. John- what was he doing here?

‘Herc, are you- oh, hey, Hamilton, have you seen Herc or Peggy anywhere? We were going to head to the art block together.’

‘Hey, why so formal? You can call me Alex.’

‘Oh, it’s just- I thought- never mind, have you seen them?’

‘No, not since this morning, he went out to get coffee with Laf.’ 

‘Right, ok, thanks. Hey, what are you reading?’

‘Just Romeo and Juliet. It’s for my lit class. Thought I’d remind myself how idiotic humans can be before I have to write essays about them.’

‘Heh, yeah, I don’t like it either. Too dramatic for me. I like his comedies, though. Midsummer Night Dream’s good, at least they there they’re being over the top on purpose.’

He perched on the end of my desk, leaning over to get a better look of the page. And of course, he _had_ to be wearing a crop top and low waisted sweats, showing off his perfectly toned stomach, as if my feelings weren’t going crazy enough already.

‘Oh, uh, yeah, that one’s good. Have you read Hamlet?’

‘I haven’t, I’ve only read what they forced me to in school. I’ve seen some of the Hamlet and Horiato stuff, though, they were definitely gay for each other.’

‘Oh, yeah, definitely. And so were Mercutio and Benvolio.’

‘Exactly, they were so cute together.’

‘I wish that was the actual story, instead of all this star-crossed lovers bullshit.’

‘He waxes desperate with imagination.’

‘First of all, that’s Hamlet, not Romeo and Juliet, second, how do you have the whole thing memorised? You said you haven’t even read it! Do you just casually quote Shakespeare?’

‘Heh, no, I just flipped to a random page and read a line,’ he said, holding up a book off my desk with a laugh so melodious it could rival Orpheus’ lyre. Goddammit, all this Shakespeare talk is turning me into a hopeless romantic. ‘Real question is, how do _you_ have the whole thing memorised?’

He got me there. ‘I mean, I don’t, I just read it a lot, you end up recognising some of the lines eventually.’

‘Holy shit, you’re smart.’

‘John!’ a new voice called from the other room. Herc was back, by the sound of it.

‘Hey, John, where were you, we were waiting in your dorm,’ Peggy said. Of course, she was here to claim her beloved boyfriend back, my god did I want to tear her limbs apart. _No, stop it, Alex, she’s a nice person, it’s not her fault John likes her and not you._

‘My dorm? You said we were meeting in your dorm. Anyway, let’s get going, see you, Alex,’ he said, jumping off my desk and placing the book back down, shooting me a killer smile before he left. Maybe Romeo had a point about that love at first sight thing. Besides, those gorgeous freckles _would_ be the death of me.

**John’s POV**

‘So, you nearly stood us up for pretty boy over there, huh?’ Peggy said teasingly as we walked across the fields.

‘Pegs, I _told_ you I thought we were meeting in Herc’s room. And I do _not_ like Alex.’

‘Really? You’re telling me you _didn’t_ wear that crop top in case you ran into him today?’ Herc pitched in, making the smuggest face in the world at me.

‘I did not!’ 

‘Sure you didn’t. I can hardly see your freckles, either. Did you put on makeup?’

‘No, I- It’s just getting cold, ok? My freckles fade when it’s cold,’ I lied- truth is, I _had_ covered them up. I don’t know, what if he thought they were ugly or something, and I just didn’t want to screw everything up already.

‘Well, anyway, I’ll let you wallow over your crush, bye, guys,’ Herc said as he went into the design studio, catching a girl I recognised from one of his late-night sewing sessions on the way.

‘That’s Maria Lewis,’ Peggy said after he’d left, staring at Herc’s friend until they had gone inside.

‘Now who’d got a crush?’ I smirked as she ogled at the girl.

‘Hey, at least I can _admit_ that I like her. She’s with Reynolds, though, the guy is the most toxic thing since bleach.’ 

‘She’s pretty, though. Like, Project Runway meets sun-kissed Spanish girl pretty.’

‘Well, if even you can admit it, she _must_ be pretty.’

‘Shut up, I can find a girl pretty without wanting to kiss her.’

‘Yeah, it’s a shame Alexander’s not a girl then. If he knew how much you wanted to kiss him, he’d be so creeped out he’d have a restraining order on you by now.’

‘I told you, I don’t have a crush on him,’ I protested as we started to go our separate ways.

‘Yeah, and I told you I know you’re lying!’ she shouted, before waving goodbye and going into the film studio, leaving me to go into the art block.

\---

 _I’m home,_ I thought, as I breathed in the comforting scent of paint and plaster. The familiar warmth of the building captivated me immediately, golden rays of sun steaming in through the wide windows covering the walls. I leisurely walked up the stairs, and only the sound of my soft footsteps and the occasional running tap or turning of pages could be heard. Colours and lines covered every spare wall, countless still life drawings of glass bottles and fruit bowls in stunning detail next to abstract forms and geometric shapes depicting the same subject matter, but in an entirely fantastical way, each as enchanting as the next.

‘Hey, John,’ said Professor Ross, a gentle woman who I’d happened to have had as my art teacher last year and in high school, too. I remembered all the doodles I’d done in the margins of notebooks as she spoke, capturing the kindness in her eyes and the bend of her wrinkles as she smiled with my biro pen.

‘Hey, prof, I like that sculpture.' She washed off her hands as I said that, the small clay figure sitting on the table besides her, clay cloak flowing dramatically behind it. 

‘Oh, thanks, John. Though, you never did take a liking to sculpture, did you?’

‘No, I’ve just always found it so messy. Maybe that was a me thing, though.’

She laughed slightly at that, drying her hands on her paint covered apron. ‘No, well, it is messy, can’t argue with you there. Never mind, though, you more than make up for it in your paintings.’

‘Heh, thanks,’ I replied, slightly embarrassed by the compliment, ‘I was actually here to check if you still had my portfolio.’

‘Of course, studio C.’

‘Thank you,’ I called as I left the room.

‘Bye, John!’

\---

I unzipped my portfolio, flipping through drawings and paintings from last year, careful not to smudge any graphite. I stopped when I reached my work on Édouard Manet, one of my favourites. Everything from the romantic simplicity to the optimistic yet not overly bright colours fascinated me, and as much as I tried to bring his delicate style to life, I never did manage to recreate the right balance of realism and whimsy.

‘Maybe I should get some oil paints,’ I murmured to no one but myself, putting my work away and wandering around the room basking in the marigold yellow of the sun, with dancing particles of dust in the air, subtle, but noticeable wherever there was light.

All I wanted in that moment was to stay here forever, no work and no responsibilities, just endless hours of peace and paint, like a glorious summer afternoon playing in the garden, wishing the sun would never set and you would never have to go back inside.

But like a summer afternoon, the sun was going to set, and soon the breezes would get too cold for your thin jacket to keep you warm, and soon you’d hear a voice from your house, your mother calling you back inside for dinner.

And as much as you’d wish for a moon full and bright enough, and a sky clear enough to light up the night so you could carry on talking to your best friend under the stars, playing innocent rounds of truth or dare and arguing about the best nickelodeon show, you would always have to go back inside eventually, left to wonder what all that would’ve be like.

‘Dammit,’ I laughed, again, only to myself, ‘This paint is getting to me, turning me into such a hopeless romantic.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp can you tell I'm still salty about Hamriato and Bencrutio not being canon? Also shout out to that iconic 'boy in a football crop top on the phone' for John's outfit (https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/fashion/news/a28833/boys-in-crop-tops-instagram/ its the first picture in that article if you want to see it, that's literally the only place I could find that picture).


	3. Magenta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang have brunch together, before Alex and John go to the library.

**Alex’s POV**

‘Alex, you wanna try a pastry?’ Herc called from the kitchen, jam covered spoon in hand.

Seeing as Laf had taken it upon himself to introduce me to everyone, we decided to do brunch in his dorm this morning. I excitedly hurried over to the huge tray that Herc had been preparing this morning, filling our whole room with the delicious smell of a bakery filled with freshly baked bread and desserts.

‘Oh my god, these are so good,’ I said through a mouthful of flaky, buttery pastry and gorgeously sweet strawberry. ‘I don’t think I’ll be eating anything else all morning.’

‘Thanks, but I’m telling you, once you taste Eliza’s pancakes, you’ll change your mind.’

‘Eliza? Haven’t met her. She nice?’

‘Oh, yeah, super nice, middle Schuyler.’

‘Are the other two coming, too?’

‘Yep, Angelica and Peggy will be there.’

Fantastic. Now I would have to spend all morning forced to watch Peggy with John, watching them cuddle and kiss and share stupid inside jokes and feed each other bites of pancake. Just the thought made me flood with anger and jealousy.

‘What’s with that face? Don’t you like the Schuylers?’

‘What are you talking about? I like them,’ _except for the face that I’m secretly in love with one of their boyfriends and I resent her for it with every fibre of my being._

‘Could’ve fooled me.’

‘Hey! I show… like.’

‘Alright, Gretchen Wieners.’

‘Are you calling me two faced? How dare you, my dad invented toaster strudel.’

‘Well if your toaster strudel’s so great, I guess you don’t want any more of my pastries.’

‘No, shut up, hand them over.’

\---

When we arrived, John, Laf, Peggy and Aaron were already there, along with another girl I hadn’t met, with bright eyes, brown skin, and bouncing curls in her hair, though perhaps my favourite thing about her was the jewellery, different chains of silver with locks and butterflies that somehow all just went together. I knew if I tried to pull that off, I’d look like a walking Urban Outfitters rack.

'Theodosia', she introduced herself, 'And you are?'

'Alexander Hamilton.’

'Oh, cool, cool! Uh, I'm, majoring in political history. What about you?'

'Oh, English lit and law,' I started, before Aaron showed up to hug her from behind.

'Hey, Theo…' he laughed as she kissed his cheek. 'Hi, Alexander. I see you met Theo. We’ve been dating since last year.' he explained, before we got called over to the table.

As we sat, Peggy and John gushed over Aaron and Theo. 'See, _that's_ what you call a storybook romance,' John chuckled.

'Hey, not my fault you'd settle for a seven 11 slushie date,' Peggy teased, to which John only mumbled, 'Hey, seven 11's got good slushies.'

I knew seeing them together was going to make me jealous, but the feeling still caught me off guard. I knew it was all dumb and immature, and I wanted to be able to let it go and be happy for them, but at the same time I wanted to punch her in the face, which is why I was thankful all our attention was diverted as Angelica arrived, with a pale, fawn-skinned girl, smiling sweetly in a pastel blue dress and long black hair, at her side.

'Ah, sorry we're late, guess who caught us on the way-’ Angelica started, sliding into a seat at my side. ‘ _Thomas. Freaking. Jefferson_. Yeah, I bet you can guess how that went. Flirting with me for 20 minutes – 20 minutes! – can you believe him? Yeah, especially since I swear, he's dating Madison. Wait he's not gay? They're literally dating though. Well anyway, just slapped one of my feminist rants on him, so I doubt he'll bother me for... well, at least a month- hey, that would be progress for him. Anyway, what's up?'

'Wait, Alex, have you met Eliza. Angie's oldest, Liza's middle and I'm the baby,’ Peggy explained. _Yes, thank you, Peggy, I think I figured that out. No, shut up, Alex, she’s being nice, stop being a bitch because you like her boyfriend._

‘Nice to meet you.’ Eliza said.

'Yeah, you too. I’m Alexander. Alexander Hamilton.' 

\---

‘No, ‘Liza, you got it all wrong. Its black clothes on a hot day, white clothes on a cold day,’ John argued, making wild gestures with his fork as he spoke. I wasn’t quite sure exactly _how_ we got onto the topic of seasonal clothing, but whatever this debate was about, John was not planning on losing.

‘Well, why don’t we ask the fashion expert then,’ Eliza countered smugly, crossing her arms with a smirk.

‘Yes, I would be glad to contribute to-’ Laf started.

‘She meant _Herc,_ dipshit, you know, the _design student?’_ Theo said, failing to hold in her laughter.

‘Also, Lafayette, _you?_ A fashion expert? Please, you’d barely be called fashionable, let alone an _expert,’_ Angelica added.

‘That’s thick coming from the person who got absolutely slaughtered in King’s summer party last year.’ Laf shot back.

‘Sure, go ahead, keep bringing up George King’s party, we all know you’re just jealous you can’t pull off heels like I can.’

‘That is bullshit and you know it! Come, right now, I am _going_ to prove you wrong,’ Laf shouted, getting up and grabbing Angelica by the arm.

‘Nope, get back here, if you guys leave now, we’re never gonna settle John and Eliza’s thing,’ Theo said, pulling both of them back to their seats as they groaned simultaneously. I caught a glimpse of Aaron’s lovestruck smile as he watched Theodosia. They were way too cute together. _See, that’s what John and Peggy have too. Do you really want to destroy all that over a useless crush?_

‘So, Herc, what’s the verdict?’ I asked.

‘Well, as much as I want to watch John suffer in the boiling heat wearing all black just to prove his point, ‘Liza’s right, white in summer and black in winter.’

‘Ha! Take that!’ Eliza yelled in triumph, jumping out of her seat, and throwing blueberries at John.

I caught myself half hoping John would keep the argument going, wearing a black tank top and dark shorts, or maybe a skirt- he’d have the legs for a skirt, if he wanted to wear one- in the height of the summer sun, sweating, and wiping his brow whilst pretending he was utterly fine. _Shut up, brain, shut up brain, shut up-_

‘Speaking of summer, I should probably check if Maria’s gonna be free this week.’ Herc said.

‘ _Mon chéri_ , how is this to do with summer exactly?’

‘Oh, because she’s an Aries, so she was born in summer.’

‘Aries is _March,_ that’s not summer. Anyway, I should be going too, someone has to knock Angelica’s ego down a peg.’

‘The only thing getting knocked down is _you_ in those heels,’ Angelica said as she and Laf left to go to her dorm, squabbling the entire time.

‘That reminds me, I had to go to the library today.’ I added. I had been ridiculously excited to see the library ever since we got here. What they had in Nevis had been modest at best, seeing as my school didn’t have a lot of funding.

Most of my education came from my teacher’s personal library. I was lucky that he took a liking to me and let me read the worn-down paperbacks he had, and the occasional newspaper, if he found an article he thought I’d like. I was lucky that my mother was smart, too. She always had the answer to every one of my questions, like my own talking encyclopaedia.

I'd pieced together some sort of an education, but I was still amazed when I moved in with the Washingtons. The number of books in their study, endless financial policies, knowledge for days; yeah, you bet I was excited. Anyway, I just thought, since I'd probably be spending my every waking moment in the campus library from now on, I should probably check it out in all its glory, maybe start the first essay George had told me he'd assign us next week while I was at it.

‘Hey, can I come, too?’ John asked. I was a bit surprised by that, though I wasn’t complaining. Oh well, guess I'd just have to suppress my gayness and try not to get lost in his smile for an hour or two. No big deal.

‘Sure.’

We climbed about 50 flights of stairs before finally reaching the holy house of all knowledge. And let me tell you, I was absolutely captivated by it. But how could I not be- warm mahogany shelves, towering walls of leather-bound writing, air filled with the scent of classic, yellowed pages. Ok, maybe I was bit _too_ into it, but could you really blame me?

‘Heh, you ok?' laughed John, as I gawked at the endless stacks of books.

'I, uh, yeah' I stammered back, embarrassed. 'I just need to find early American politics.' He nodded and I left to find my book, possibly letting my hand graze over the stiff fabric bound book covers as I went. 

‘So, you’re doing law?’ I didn’t notice that he’d appeared behind me, leaning over my shoulder to read the book’s cover. Dammit, he could probably feel me heating up. _Don’t move, don’t stumble, don’t freak out._

‘Yeah, I am. You?’ The fact that I was shocked that I managed to deliver a full sentence did not say great things about my debating ability. At least I didn’t have to debate John Laurens. It would be all over for me, the second he smiled, face covered in freckles. Where were his freckles, anyway? Must’ve been the lighting.

‘Well, I’m doing fine art, I want to be an illustrator or something. I mean, my parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a politician, like my dad - and then they saw my grades for debate and that went up in flames. And, I'm blabbing. Sorry.' He was adorable. Oh my gosh, was he blushing, that was even more adorable.

And that was when we ran into the mostinfuriating guy I have ever met. 6-foot-tall, at least, magenta shirt (really, _magenta?_ Of all the colours you could choose, _magenta?_ ), southern accent so strong it sounded downright fake. Yup, Thomas. Freaking. Jefferson. Even what I'd heard from Laf had me dreading meeting him. Fantastic.

'Hey, Laurens, how's the cock sucking going. See you've got yourself a new boy toy,' Jefferson mocked. I immediately turned bright red.

'I don't know, you tell me. Or should I be asking Madison that?' John shot back. Jefferson’s annoyed reaction was good, but John’s smirk when he saw it was even better.

That's when I noticed the short boy next to Jefferson. And judging by his expression, this was clearly not his first argument today. He rolled his eyes- I couldn't tell if it was at John or Jefferson- though I caught a faint red burn his cheeks, too.

'Ha, ha, very funny,' he scoffed before turning to me, 'And who would you be, darlin’?' He said, ruffling my hair. I slapped his hand away. 'Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton. Don’t call me “darling”. And do _not_ touch me. ' I snarled curtly.

'Hmph. See you in law class, then. _Darlin.'_

He turned his back to leave.

I didn't quite know what was happening, then, but John spun him back round by the shoulder, and I heard a thud and a yell, as his fist met Jefferson's face.

He screamed, knocking into a bookcase as he attacked John back. They got dangerously close to knocking an entire shelf over, John’s lightning-fast punches, hard and determined. But I couldn’t help finding it incredibly hot, the clenching of John’s fists, his furious glare, the slight flex of his swinging arm.

‘What is the meaning of this?' a librarian yelled furiously, walking over once Jefferson had been thoroughly beat, though he hadn’t gone down without a fight, seeing as John’s face was bruised and he had a nosebleed, too.

Yeah, to no one's surprise, we ended up outside George’s office. Or, 'Professor Washington’, I guess. Jefferson and Madison went in first, and by the looks of it, the meeting could've gone better- Jefferson shot me a look of pure venom as they walked off. The next year in that law class with him was going to be hell.

And then I got called in.

‘Alexander, what on earth happened here?’ George said, letting out an exasperated sigh. I could tell he’d been expecting this, just perhaps not so soon.

‘I don’t know what you heard, but whatever it was, Jefferson started it!’ I protested.

‘I don’t care who started it, I care about what happened.’

‘Jefferson was insulting us, making stuff up about John, flirting with me, and so John punched him, and it sort of got into a fight and it was… yeah.’ I looked sheepishly at the ground, suddenly embarrassed by how childish it all sounded.

‘So, let me get this straight. Jefferson was talking to _you,_ and that made _John_ get angry.’ His annoyed face quickly became amused, and he held back a chuckle. ‘Are you and John… no, never mind, I learned this from your brother, I’m going to get a “stop meddling in my business”, aren’t I?’

‘Me and John?’

‘No, forget I said anything. I’m letting you off with a warning. You’re lucky that librarian got _me_ to deal with you, anyone else wouldn’t let you off so easy.’

‘Um, alright, thanks. Oh yeah, and tell Martha thanks for those cookies she sent me.’

‘Will do, Alexander. Now get out of here. I’ve got classes to plan, and your boyfriend’s probably waiting.’

‘My _boyfriend?_ You think John and I are _dating?_ We’re not- It’s not- Ugh, stop meddling in-’

‘Yes, yes, I know, stop meddling in your business, I told you, I’ve heard it all. See you in class tomorrow.’ To my utter annoyance, he was still smiling to myself, so I made a point to slam the door as hard as I could as I left.

‘Hey, what happened, was Washington mad, does he need to see me?’ John asked, almost nervous, as I came out.

‘Uh, no, he wasn’t that mad, got off with a warning.’ _And apparently everyone, including my dad, can tell I have a crush on you. A stupid, hopeless, dead end crush._

But as we left, I couldn't help thinking about what Jefferson had said. Was John mad because he was... _jealous?_ No, that could never be true. Could it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor, poor, oblivious Alex.  
> Also, George was made to be a dad, no one can change my mind about that.


	4. Flower Crowns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and John being cute, Laf and Herc being annoying :)

**John’s POV**

‘So, what was all that about, anyway?’ Alex asked as we lounged under a twisting oak tree after our library episode.

‘Yeah, I’ve got a complicated history with those two.’ I said, absently plucking daisies from the grass.

‘Oh yeah?’

‘Yeah. I guess we’ve known each other since we were kids, our dads were all in politics, mine for South Carolina, theirs for Virginia.’

‘You’re from South Carolina?’ he asked, as I began to weave the flowers into a chain.

‘Yeah, I grew up there. We had a load of dinners and parties together, that’s where I really got to know Jefferson and Madison, a bunch of others, too. Came to New York a few years ago because of my dad - that’s when I met Herc and Laf. And well, yeah, then I started college here, and the rest of them moved back to Carolina.

‘Did you like it there?’

‘Well, I liked some parts. A lot of memories. But it was just… really white and conservative and stuff. Felt like I never fit in.’

‘Hm, well I’m guessing those two weren’t great to hang around, either.’

‘No, well, it was weird. Thomas was always the popular kid, but he didn’t actually talk to a lot of people; most the time he only hung out with James. There was this one other guy he was friends with too, John Adams, but half the time they were in some terrible argument that would magically get resolved the next week. Oh, did you know he’s like, somehow related to Laf, too?’

‘Wait, really? He never mentioned that,’ Alex said, shocked. ‘I guess they do sort of look similar.’

‘Heh, yeah, I guess they do.’ I tied the end of my delicate daisy chain. ‘Hey, come here.’

He shuffled towards me and I placed the garland onto his head, tucking it under his hair so it wouldn’t fall. His face lit up with delight as he smiled looking up at it, and I couldn’t help but smile, too. The tiny white petals stood out against his raven black hair, and the rose blush spreading over his face make him impossibly fairy-like.

The sight made my chest flutter and swell with an unfamiliar yet still somehow homely – _something._ I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. All I knew was that the boy was practically picturesque, though not in the way that a celebrity is. No, his perfection wasn’t blinding and overwhelming and intimidating. I could never imagine it on the cover of a magazine, or on a flashy red carpet. Instead, it was… _nice_. Domestic, maybe, that could be a word for it. Or perhaps constant, calm as waves, cool and blue, gently lulling on a soft shore.

‘This is so pretty, thanks,’ he smiled as I took a picture of him, making a mental note to draw this later.

‘It suits you. I used to make these all the time with my sister, Martha, usually with these huge flowers my mom had in her garden. My dad never liked me making these, though.’

‘Really? You’re really good at making stuff. You have to show me your art someday, I bet its really good. I’m hopeless, this is the best I can do,’ he said, throwing grass on my head.

‘Hey! Stop that!’ he just laughed in response, throwing more and more grass at me, claiming it was ‘modern art’. ‘I’m serious, I’m going to tackle you just like I did Jefferson.’

‘Oh, will you, now?’ he taunted, standing up.

‘Yes, I am,’ I replied, getting up as well, pinning him to the trunk of the tree.

_Holy shit- I just made this gorgeous boy a flower crown and now I’m pinning him to a fucking tree. What was I thinking, he’s probably straight and he probably has a girlfriend somewhere who would not be pleased about-_

My thoughts were cut off as he shoved my arm and spun us around, before swinging at me with a laugh.

‘Oh, don’t think you’ll get me that easy,’ I grinned, punching softly in his stomach, enough to push him back, though not enough to hurt.

‘Well, I already have,’ he said, cunningly stepping aside when I lunged forwards at him, before shoving me down using my own momentum. I grabbed his shirt as I fell, and we both screamed, laughing till we realised the position we were in, with me sprawled out on the grass and him hovering above me, the remanets of his daisy chain scattered throughout his loose hair, faces dangerously close.

‘Uh, yeah, right,’ he hurried, crawling off me. ‘I should go get those books now.’

He ran off before I could reply. Once I was sure he was out of earshot, I turned to scream into the ground.

‘Why can’t he just like me like I like him?’ I complained to no-one but myself.

\---

‘Stop that!’

‘ _Mais-_ ’

‘No buts, I told you, you can’t eat that.’

‘ _Mais c’est délicieux!’_

‘No, it’s raw, and you’re weird.’

I cracked open the door to find Laf and Herc in the kitchen, arguing with a tray of raw pastries from this morning in between them.

‘Guys, what’s going on?’ I asked, entering the room.

‘ _Laf_ is trying to make himself sick.’

‘ _Herc_ is forgetting that we live in a free country.’

‘Ok, this is a dumb argument, Laf, just bake the pastries, you’re gonna be sick.’

He rolled his eyes and Herc pecked him on the nose with a triumphant smirk.

‘So,’ Laf started, ‘How was your date with Alex. Where is he, anyway? We heard you ran into Thomas.’

‘Not a date, and yeah, there was an… um… _incident_ in the library.’

‘Yeah, is your face alright?’

‘Doesn’t hurt. And Alex… I’m not sure where he went. Think he had a few more books to get.’

The two of them said nothing, just grinned at each other.

‘What?’

They were silent again, just gave me a look that said, ‘You know _exactly_ what.’

‘Guys-’

‘You like him,’ Herc smirked.

‘Well, as his _brother_ , I’m not sure I approve.'

_Dammit, dammit, dammit._

‘Guys, I do _not_ like him.’

‘Sure you don’t.’ Laf said.

‘I’m serious, I don’t like him.’

‘Then why has your face gone red?’ Herc mocked.

‘ _Oui,_ and why are you wearing your pretty clothes?’

‘Pretty clothes for pretty boy.’

‘Oh, I like that, pretty boy. He is pretty, I suppose. So, John, why are you wearing pretty clothes for pretty boy if you don’t like him.’

‘Ugh, I hate you guys.’

‘ _Mon dieu_ , where have your freckles gone?’ Laf exclaimed, grabbing my face.

‘He put on makeup because he’s afraid Alex won’t like his freckles.’

Damn them.

‘I did not!’

‘Well, _I_ remember Alex saying that he likes freckles.’

‘Doesn’t matter to me.’

‘Sure, so you’re saying you’ll _still_ wear that makeup tomorrow?’

‘Well…’

‘Ha, you _do_ like him!’

‘Well, fine, maybe I like him a bit,’ I mumbled, looking at the ground.

‘What was that?’ Herc teased. 

‘Shut up, you heard me.’

‘Well, if it helps, _mon ami_ , I think he likes you, too.’

_No, don’t get your hopes up._

‘He does _not_.’

‘You don’t believe me?’

‘No, I don’t.’

‘Fine, don’t believe him. Laf, can you come model some stuff for me?’

‘Of course, it better be as good as that blazer you made me, I still have dreams about that thing. Let’s go, John can obsess over pretty boy on his own.’

‘I’m not-’

‘Sure, sure, whatever, see you later, John.’

And with that, they left, Laf managing to sneak another raw pastry into his mouth before they left – I just rolled my eyes and mouthed ‘ _You’re weird’_ at him in response. Damn them, damn them, damn them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're too cute <3  
> Also, Mulette is an underrated ship and I love them- they're literally just two chaotic goods in love, what more could you want?


End file.
